Two weeks ago, Empire Mates Entertainment Record Label co-founder and and musician, Banky W, introduced himself as a filmmaker to us. He did that with his ‘Mercy’ video. It was a hit. We have not had the chance to truly take it all in and he is back, two weeks later, with two new music videos released on the same day. Overkill? Can we get a chance to process it all Banky? It seems to be a bit too rushed. Allow us the room to truly appreciate the time, work and skills you put into making your videos.
I do appreciate him using my fellow fashion models: Amina and Millen Magese in (his) videos. I didn’t realize Banky was that tall.
1. Mercy, released two weeks ago.
2. Message to my Unborn Child, released yesterday.
3. Low Key, released yesterday.
Anyway, the above releases reminds me of R&B Singer turned entertainment lawyer Ollachi “Enze” Holman’s statements that Banky W needs to be aware of his brand and tune into brand consistency. See excerpt below:
On Brand Consistency & Banky W’s 2014 Leaked Threesome Photo
(Starts at 53:45)
“My biggest issue is that people didn’t find it hard to believe it was him… he released a statement saying it wasn’t him and even me that know him, I went back to the picture and said, “what’s this guy talking about, this is him nau.” Yet, I accepted that it wasn’t him. My issue is that people found it so easy to believe it was him and if that is not an issue of concern for him, I don’t know what it is. For brand consistency, Banky W has this bad boy image going on but Banky is about to be 34 in a couple of months and by Nigerian standards that is not really young. The majority of his fans are not Americans, they are either in Nigeria, or other African countries and the African diaspora. I just feel like an artist needs to remain consistent in their brand but they also need to consistently grow in their brand and grow with what the expectation is with the culture that their material is created to meet.
Banky’s music is created for Africans, especially Nigerians, and in the Nigerian eye, when you reach a certain level, they expect you to be a boss. It gets to the point where people start calling you “Agbaya,” a grown man acting like a kid. Banky W is a CEO of a very successful label in Nigeria…(he needs be consistent and mature with his brand).”
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Uduak. Game done changed.
Mr. Bankole is eager to restore his spot and the trend now is to fast track everything IMO. Haven't you noticed? Singles are released ever so frequently now as songs barely last two months. I'm yet to enjoy Wizkid's OJUELEGBA video well enough and gbam, he drops another. The cash cow (Wizzy) has left the farm na and the other two in the pen are yet to reach critical acclaim where milk will flow… Man mus wak.
2. It's not the same era where Sasha P could ride EMI LE GAN for upward two years or Daddy Showkey's DYNA dominated for months. You are caught sleeping, then you're slipping. Not that I agree with the bombardment style but the dynamics are changing really fast. Music gets dated easily now and very few acts can hold sway with a great length of time between their materials. Jungle get plenty hungry animals now. Heck, as much as 50% or more of their albums have been heard before final release sef. Relevance is key.
3. Didn't hear about Banky's threesome. He, he, he… I must have been under my rock then, as I often do.
4. Brand consistency. That's for another day…
RichyGame makes a great point about how this music gets dated so quickly these days. And Banky doesn't even have the creative reach of a Wizkid to make it last. Younger artists can jump from trend to trend and just look "trendy"; if an artist Banky's age does that, he looks foolish, lost awash a sea of styles.
His age is his biggest obstacle these days. By now, Banky should have found his lane and claimed it as his own. With him, though, you never know if you'll get Afro-Pop, Danchall, or R&B. To establish a lasting fanbase, post-Wizkid, he must first establish the sound that he wants to be known for; not just be the guy who does a little bit of everything.
Once he does that, he can stop blitzing us with videos and songs every other week.